11/11/20115 SGA Minutes

Eastern Mennonite University

Student Government Association

November 11, 2015

Moment of Meditation/Prayer

Call to Order
- Hanna calls meeting to order at 8:03pm.
Roll Call
Approval of Minutes
- Minutes approved
Announcements
- LEAD Lunch: Thursday, November 12, 2015
- Board of Trustees Lunch: Marian Bauman
Old Business
- Points of Action/Check-In: Focus Groups
  - Pregame is this weekend. 5:30 first 150 students with ID’s get pizza. It will also be a white out.
  - There’s an article tomorrow in the Weathervane about the photo project.
New Business
- Funding Request: Coalition on Sexual Violence Prevention
  - It’s a group of students, faculty and staff. Requesting $1,000 to be able to host events.
  - Taylor: They’re not a club yet, also not asking for immediate funding.
  - Tyler: we shouldn’t fund them for the event that is happening for next semester. We should spend next semesters budget on it instead.
  - Bethany: They’re having issues even planning things because they have no funding.
  - Mario: would like more clarification on the funding.
  - Nicole: give them a little money so they can start planning events.
  - Tyler: feels comfortable with educational materials as being presently used. Using this as a starting point.
  - Kat: doesn’t feel things are clear enough to put forth the money. Would like to put forward the $200.
  - Elisabeth motions to give the collation $200 for educational materials. Robert seconds.
    - In Favor: 13
    - Abstaining: 2
    - Opposed: 0
    - Motion passed.
- Funding Request: Peace Fellowship
  - Requesting $1,775 for School of the Americas protest. There is a diverse group of students going. They will be learning in education seminars, protesting, and marching to the detention center. Want to expose students to the School of Americas and how it impacts Latin America. They have modified their original plans. Asking students to pay $45 instead of $30. Also modified other parts of the plans. There are 24 students going. $1,630 for vans and $145 for extra car. $1775 from SGA. EMU attends every other year.
  - Allan: it doesn’t seem very planned out.
  - Brenda: they are new presidents this semester. They are still getting use to things.
  - Kat: uncomfortable spending this much money on one group.
  - Nicole: It is open for all students to go. Is impressed that 24 students are going.
  - Bethany: It’s 24 different students than the ones going on the New York trip.
  - Kat: concerned students think it’s just a fun trip.
  - Elisabeth: It’s a big commitment by the students going.
  - Sam: decided to go because it’s advertised as educational event not changing the world.
  - Hanna: they target students who are marginalized.
  - Nicole: Peace Fellowship is an active group. Doesn’t think that it would be a problem to get back to campus.
  - Tyler: recognizes that they are new presidents but it’s very frustrating that the funding request came so late. Think’s there’s a better way to find transportation.
  - Brenda: good to recognize that they said that this is there last option.
  - Mario motions to give Peace Fellowship $1,775 for the SOA protest on the stipulation that the give refund if they spend less. Also must set a date to bring it back to campus before they leave. Bethany seconds.
    - In Favor: 8
    - Abstaining: 2
    - Opposed: 5
    - Motion passed
Open Floor
- There’s an ongoing talk about the housing. Gloria Rhodes is facilitating the conversation on how to make housing more equitable. Current housing plan is the people who put housing deposits first get to choose housing first. They want to make it more equal.
- Bethany: University Accord wants to come discuss with SGA to have more shared experiences on campus. Possibly tying in the housing with the University Accord.
- Elisabeth: the writing committee talked about revising the undergrad writing rubric. Also adjusting the turnitin settings.
Adjournment
- Mario motions to adjourn the meeting. Brenda seconds. Meeting adjourned at 9:16pm.